Taro George Kodama (Poston
305-10-C) was born in December 4, 1929 to Japanese immigrants, Jitaro and
Kane Kodama.
Following the
signing of Executive Order 9066, Taro and his parents, and siblings, Akiko
Bernice, Jiro Kenneth, Shinobu Helen, Haruko Ruth, Takako Agnes, Hachiro,
Katsuko and Kiyoko were evacuated to the Poston Arizona concentration camp 3 on
August 4, 1942. His father, Jitaro, was the Camp 3 director of the Buddhist
Church. While at Poston, Taro won 2nd place in the Novel Hut (library) Reading
Contest. His sisters, Akiko who was a vocalist and YBA Girls' Athletic
Manager, and Shinobu Helen, who was a forward for the Manjiettes basketball
team and Most Valuable Player in the April 1943 Girls All Star Casaba League
basketball team, left Poston and relocated to Minneapolis on August 29, 1944,
while Taro continued to attend the newly constructed Parker Valley High School.
Older brother, Jiro Kenneth left Poston and went to Chicago on March 13,
1945.
Taro George Kodama was a veteran of the
U.S. Air Force, and died at the age of 83 on July 1, 2012 in Fresno, California. No services were held.
